2016 The Dawn of Drone Racing

This News article is a guest post and comes from Júlio Ventura, the main writer for DronesGlobe. Today Júlio gives us glimpse into the world of drone racing.

Welcome to 2016, we are living in the dawn of a new technological era, an era promising big advances and breakthroughs in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Drones are swiftly flying into our day-to-day life. It has become common to go to a park or outdoor event and come across a drone fiercely piercing the sky. Man has always been drawn to fast and agile machinery, today we watch as the love for speed transcends the ground and takes on the sky. The rapid growth of the drone industry has allowed for great products to be manufactured at affordable prices. Drone racing began as an amateur sport in Australia; since then, it is grown into a worldwide phenomenon. The idea of putting on FPV (real time video transmission) Goggles, sitting back, grabbing the controller, and flying a UAV capable of hitting more than 120km per hour, pleases a lot of people. Sci-Fi movies have predicted it and we are living it. The first primordial steps towards a future with a very populated sky.

Another great example of how UAV racing is becoming a professional 21st Century sport is the upcoming 2016 United States National Drone Racing Championship, which will unveil the first US Champion. 2016 is the year of many official first edition drone racing events. Such events include the new Drone Racing League, a five stage tournament in which drone racers from around the world compete against each other. The racers with the best scores at the end of the five series races gets to move on to the first official Drone Racing World Championship. Who will be the first Drone Racing World Champion?

Such events are being organized all over the world, gathering many enthusiasts and new fans to get near the racing tracks and be amazed at how fast and agile drones have become. They pierce the sky, perform acrobatic stunts mid-air, crash and get up to fly again! The best part of witnessing the boom of this new technological era is being able to take part. History is yet to be written, the Ayrton Senna of drone racing has not yet been unveiled. The Messi of aerial stunts has not yet shown his face. Everything is possible and we are here to witness it.

Robotic companies have realized this on-growing drone ‘mania’, therefore many great pieces of fast, responsive, and resistant products have been manufactured. Drone producers compete against each other to earn their spot as the first big “authority” names in the drone racing era. Who is going to be the Ferrari of drone racing? Surely, events such as the World Championship and the US Nationals will bring many names to the spotlight. Companies aim to see their products winning events, and standing out as the most reliable race drone. One of the very first drones to have succeeded at this is the multi-award winning Sky-Hero Anakin, the most prized racing drone to date. 1# in Cabourg FPV Beach, 1# 3D Cup, #1 Ircha FPV Race, #1 Okc FPV Race, 2# Drone Nationals and 4# Hobbykings FPV, all in 2015.

It won’t be as easy as flying your Phantom 4, but it sure will enhance every need for speed you have within. One of the best things is the possibility to watch in First Person View whatever the drone is watching in real time through Goggles. Truly boosting the racing experience and sharpening racer’s responsiveness and performance. As technology develops, more and more drones, controllers, cameras, antennas and goggles will be added to the market. Faster and more agile drones will leave the older models in the dust. We, drone enthusiasts, are living exciting days and are blessed to be the first ones able to enjoy the awakening of this new modern day sport.

What about you? Do you already own a racing drone? Or are you curious about riding this tornado of aerial speed? Start practicing now and you might end up being the first drone racing legend! Leave a comment below telling us your opinion regarding the dawn of modern drone sports. We are excited to hear your opinion!

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